Thursday, 4 November 2010

Strictly Lesbian

I do enjoy Strictly Come Dancing but despite its weekly serving of a large dollop of camp and queerness, the performers all find themselves in a heteronormative narrative of two dancers - one male and one female. It's depressingly out of sync with modern society. I therefore greeted some news from Israel yesterday with a loud "hurray". Dancing with the Stars - the international version of Strictly has a show in Israel and the current series includes out-lesbian Gili Shem Tov, a TV sportscaster, who has been teamed with Dorit Milman, a professional dancer assigned by the show to perform with her.

The BBC - owners of the format - apparently also had to give the Israel show the go-ahead. This presumably sets a precedent that it's OK for the British version too so let's get someone openly gay in this country strutting their stuff with someone of the same gender in the next season. Then we can get to grips with trans dancers too...